CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Scripps News Corpus Christi) — Hours after Jerry Martinez appeared in court on charges related to a newborn baby found in a Walmart bathroom, his stepfather was arrested and charged.
Jerry Martinez appears in court on July 17, 2025. (Stephanie Molina, Scripps News Corpus Christi)
Mathis Police Chief Willie Figueroa told Scripps News Corpus Christi that police arrested Martinez’s stepfather, 60-year-old Mario Duran, on charges of sexual assault. His bond was set at $300,000.
The arrest came hours after Martinez appeared in court for a bond hearing in front of Judge Jack Pulcher.
Martinez was arrested on Monday night after Kingsville Police said a Walmart employee called 911 after they found a newborn baby in a restroom trash can. The newborn was rushed to Christus Spohn Hospital-Kleberg, where doctors pronounced the infant dead.
Police reviewed surveillance footage showing Martinez’s daughter entering the store and remaining in the restroom for approximately 40 minutes before leaving. Martinez was arrested at the scene and charged with abandoning/endangering a child with criminal negligence, tampering with evidence, and tampering with a witness.
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During Thursday’s hearing, Celinda Tatum, a detective with the Kingsville Police Department, stated that the defendant poses a danger to the community and she believes the police department will file additional charges in this case.
Tatum also said the defendant had made threats, but she didn’t specify to whom. She explained that those threats led to police filing a charge of tampering with a witness.
Soon after, Prosecutor Retha Cable told the judge that Martinez’s bond was insufficient and that Martinez was a flight risk.
Martinez’s defense attorney, Christian Pineda, told the judge that Martinez is caught up in something that “appears very serious” and there was no evidence presented to the court that proves Martinez was a flight risk.
Pineda also told the judge that Martinez has nine children, six of whom live with him in Mathis, and there is currently an open investigation into Martinez by Child Protective Services.
In the end, Pulcher set Martinez’s bond at $300,000. He also said Martinez can continue to reside in Mathis, but he can not have contact with his daughter or his family.
Kingsville police say the 17-year-old is not in custody, but has been taken to a secure location.
This story was originally written by Veronica Flores-Herrera and Stephanie Molina for Scripps News Corpus Christi, an E.W. Scripps Company.
